Currently the City’s Department of Transportation (DDOT) provides transit service to over 130,000 persons every day within the Cities of Detroit, Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Highland Park. At the same time, growth in population, employment, and new retail businesses continues to increase every year.
As the revitalization of the Detroit area progresses, the need for a viable rapid transit system that connects neighborhoods, businesses, major destinations and new development is becoming more and more evident.
The study is following guidelines established by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for conducting a Transit Alternatives Analysis (AA) and will result in a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) that identifies a specific alignment and type of rapid transit that is best suited for the Detroit area. Options to be evaluated include a combination of roadway and transit improvements. Rail and “rubber-tire” technologies will also be evaluated as part of the transit assessment.
The purpose of an Alternatives Analysis is:
- Deciding upon the project (transit mode and general alignment) to build.
- Developing a successful project by:
- Selecting an alternative whose scope and cost address the Detroit area transportation problems and whose costs are consistent with the expected benefits.
- Identifying a realistic financial plan.
- Advancing the development of supportive land use and other policies.
The AA is an important first step in the FTA’s process for developing rapid transit projects:
- The AA sets the context for making informed decisions and answers relevant questions.
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Local Questions
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FTA Questions
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What do we want to do?
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What is the problem and were all reasonable alternatives considered?
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What are the benefits?
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How solid is the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) decision?
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How much does it cost?
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Were the FTA Grant Program criteria developed correctly?
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Where’s the money going to come from?
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How does the project rate (and criteria)?
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How do we make it happen?
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Should the FTA fund it?
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The FTA Project Development Process includes the following major phases:
- Alternatives Analysis – This step evaluates transportation options after developing a Purpose and Need Statement that identifies problems and issues. Current study – DTOGS.
- Preliminary Engineering – A more detailed analysis that includes estimated capital and operating cost of the transportation option(s).
- Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) – A more detailed evaluation of each transportation option and their impact on the surrounding environment.
- Record of Decision – Approves/rejects transportation option(s) based on the EIS as well as comments from public agencies, citizens and elected officials.
- Final Design
- Construction
- Operation
Public involvement is a critical component of the Detroit Transit Options for Growth Study. Early on in the study, residents, community and business leaders were given the opportunity to provide input on transportation and transit issues in the Detroit area. The information obtained from these activities was used to help develop the Goals and Objectives for the AA and gave planners a better sense of the transportation system’s strengths and weaknesses. Additional public involvement activities include Public Open Houses, regular meetings of a Technical Advisory Committee, Newsletters and this Website.
The outcome of the DTOG Study is the establishment of a Locally Preferred Alternative, (LPA) that will be supported by all stakeholders (public, policy makers, business owners, and government agencies) and that can be advanced forward through FTA’s Project Development Process resulting in construction of a rapid transit system in the Detroit area.
